Nicole Holofcener has established her style many times over. While she may not stray to far from what’s comfortable to her, she finds ways to keep it fresh. In “Please Give,” we see this again as she delivers a portrait of an upper class family from New York who’s matriarch is so ridden with guilt due to her success, she finds it hard to thoroughly enjoy life.

There are many ways to make a simple story seem more complex than it is, and one way is a great cast. When married shop owners Kate (Catherine Keener) and Alex (Oliver Platt) purchase the apartment next to theirs, all they have to do is wait for their elderly acquaintance to pass on. The constantly guilty Kate can’t help but absorb the animosity that her neighbors granddaughter Rebecca (Rebecca Hall) shoots towards her every time they meet. In an effort to prove they aren’t bad people, Kate invites Rebecca, her cruel sister Mary (Amanda Peet) and their grandmother over for dinner. While this helps a little, it unfortunately sets the wheels in motion that may tear their family apart.

“Please Give” is as true as it’s creator. It’s certainly a character piece at it’s best. We see each character at the highest and lowest points in their life – and this is all over a small course of time. The writing is quirky and smart, and while sometimes missing big, it ultimately proves to be a solid landscape for the actors to let their talents shine.

While the beautiful Rebecca Hall is easy to crush on, she is also an immense talent swimming just below the surface of stardom. She plays her identically named character with such ease it’s rewarding to watch. This film is also Amanda Peet’s best performance to date. She is no stranger to being “The Bitch” but that doesn’t trump the fact the she played the biggest bitch of her life here, and it was a good thing.

Even though it’s a given at this point, I feel remised to say that veterans Catherine Keener and Oliver Platt are exactly what they needed to be to carry this film. Their chemistry is so strong it feels as if they’ve worked together a thousand times before.

“Please Give” isn’t the best film this year so don’t take your seat expecting greatness. It is what it is. Take the characters for what they are and try to relate to them because if anything, they are remarkably relatable.